Max Smith

Dr. Gunter
AP English Language and Composition, utilizing self sourcing and Jacob
Goldmans Blog.
Block 1

April 1, y

2016 Presidential Election

What qualities of a presidential candidate appeal
most to the United States populous?

Whether someone is Feeling the Bern, Cruising for Cruz, ready to Dump
Trump, think that its time for an up-Hill battle, or well, anything else, (Er,
sorry Kasich, theres not much I can do there) the 2016 contenders have
broken away from the customary formality usually associated with the
presidential election. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders danced to Hotline
Bling on national television, while allegations of Ted Cruz being the Zodiac
Killer circulated the internet. Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton dabbed
during her time with Ellen DeGeneres, and Donald Trump spurred
controversy by becoming the first ever candidate to drop the F-Bomb in a
campaign speech. Its not abnormal to see these nominee-hopefuls do
absurd things during their race for the office; its simply a procedure to earn
media attention. Presidential candidates have the challenge of appealing to
two types of audiences: educated and uneducated voters. The first group can
be swayed by the traditional methods of meriting votes, such as intense
debates, town halls, meet-and-greets, etc, which showcase the candidates
opinions and policies to voters, allowing them to choose the candidate they
feel best fits their idea of a good president. However, the second group
proves much more difficult to reach. Candidates, in order to reach the second

2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

group, tend to act more like a reality TV star with radical views, and less like
a professional office holder. In a report on the 2012 election published by
the U.S Census Bureau, only fifty-four percent of eligible voters voted in that
election. This number is nothing too shocking- voter turnout has always
averaged around sixty-two percent. Nevertheless, voters, like their
candidates this year, are also breaking some customs. In a February 29th
CBS News report, Republican voter turnout has increased at an average of
around 20% nationwide this election cycle, while Democratic turnout has
decreased around 15%. This fluctuation of voters has caused many
candidates to try and appeal to larger audiences, both educated and
uneducated. In order to appeal to educated voters, candidates must be
adaptable to the situation in which they find themselves but maintain their
positions on policies, while in order to appeal to uneducated voters,
candidates need to act unabashedly and express their sense of humor to the
public.
When looking at public appeal in an election cycle, its important to
differentiate between educated and uneducated voters. Educated voters, for
the intents and purposes of this essay, are people who follow candidates and
stay up to date on their policies, and use that information to make a well
thought out, informed decision. Presidential candidates can appeal to this
niche by being more formal and cooperative, while remaining steadfast in
their policies. According to Goldmans AP Lang Blog analysis, Hillary Clinton
has been having general success with voters aged thirty to forty-four. This
stems from Clintons ability to be more formal and relate to this voter group
with more experience. Many candidates on either side appeal to educated
voters by utilizing facts to augment the credibility of their claims, especially
on the debate floor. This is where another key quality comes into play. During
debates, candidates have an opportunity to respond to policies and
statements made by their opponents on live television. Candidates such as
Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders normally excel in this regard, and can
2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

successfully win over many educated voters. They are able to be act with
respect and demeanor, but both candidates are known for their unwavering
policies. In addition, Town Halls are essential for candidates to showcase
qualities that appeal to educated voters. Without the pressure of a debate,
they are able to calmly and carefully respond to questions in a timely and
orderly fashion. Answers are more thought out and this presents the unique
opportunity for candidates to respond to accusations without the intensity
found in a debate. The essential quality exhibited here is a candidates ability
to provide analytical thoughts in a composed manner. Educated voters look
for candidates who best handle the pressure put upon them, but also look for
answers and speeches that showcase the policies of the candidate, as
opposed to undermining the policies of their opponents. According to a
kqed.org article, the primary quality that younger voters look for is
respect. If young people feel respected and validated by a candidate, they
are more likely to follow up on a candidate and vote for them in the election.
There is a common misconception that millennial and younger voters are
only ready to Feel the Bern of socialism and are too incompetent to vote,
however they make up a large percentage of this class of voters, as they will
most actively follow a campaign if it pertains to their needs. With a
combination of old and young voters, this class is one of the hardest to
appease genuinely. If a nominee can successfully keep their composure
during the intensity of a campaign while simultaneously staying steadfast in
their policies supported by legitimate facts, they will have a higher chance to
merit the votes of an educated voter population.
Like in every election, there is always a secondary population that
participates. Uneducated voters, or here, people who tend to vote based on
name recognition and the opinions and influences of the people around
them, make up a large portion of the voting population. Candidates tend to
result to interesting methods to reach this group. Uneducated voters look for
the same qualities of a reality TV show star: in-the-moment appeal paired,
2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

extremely radical views that exhibit an overt honesty that appeals to many
Americans. In Jacob Goldmans AP Lang Blog, he states that the New
Hampshire Democratic primary was decided under a series of six coin
tosses which Hillary Clinton won (an almost one in sixty-four chance)
Later, in the Iowa caucuses, Democratic AND Republican voter turnout
increased by a large amount. This can be attributed to the unprofessional
ending to the New Hampshire primaries: coin tosses. The almost comical
appeal brought uneducated voters due to the name recognition from the
historic event. However, there is a single candidate that everyone knows to
attract uneducated voters: Donald Trump. Donald Trumps loud and
rambunctious style appeals to uneducated voters easily. According to
TheBlaze, Trump is one of the first candidates to say the F-Word in a
campaign speech. His known xenophobia and blatant sexism that he has
under the guise of honesty is the quality that attracts the uneducated voters.
Not the sexism or hatred for Islam, but the honesty in which he presents it
with. He certainly has shifted far from the normal presidential campaign
route. Many of his supporters say that he is not afraid to say what he thinks,
and this is certainly true. This unruly attitude has manifested itself in an
inordinate amount of media attention, which leads back to the primary
quality that uneducated voters look for: name recognition.
In this election, candidates are going further than ever before to
appease voters. Uneducated voters are looking for name recognition and
acting unabashedly from their hopefuls, while educated voters are looking
for the more traditional measures such as composure. When examining this
election cycle, it is important to distinguish between the two. Actions such as
dancing on national television or asking to be yelled at during a debate
(Thank you, Mr. Carson) are simply tactics to achieve a wider media
response. The qualities that appeals to the United States populous most
heavily relies on what type of voter they are trying to appease. Educated
voters tend to respect composure and analytical thought and policies as
2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

opposed to tearing down the other side. Uneducated voters look for name
recognition and an ability to be overly radical to appease their need for a
reality-TV like campaign debate. However, there is a simple way to appease
both groups. The most important quality that a candidate can have is an
ability to lead. All of the loud debates or analytical Town Halls can no provide
this skill, so its up to the American population to determine which candidate
fits that best. So, if even youre looking out for the Zodiac Killer Cruz-ade,
thinking its high time for Hillary, readying yourself to Bern the other
candidates, or even trying to Trump the other party, the 2016 Presidential
Election will be one for the books. (Sorry Kasich, still got nothing.)

2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION